Top 10 Actors and Actresses that Aged Badly

VO: Rebecca Brayton
Script written by Niki Neptune
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but some eyes are less forgiving. Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Actors and Actresses that Aged Badly. For this list, we're looking at Hollywood actors and actresses whose appearances changed drastically over the course of their careers.
Special thanks to our user Jack Wilhelm Romeyn for submitting the idea on our Interactive Suggestion Tool at WatchMojo.comsuggest

Top 10 Actors and Actresses that Aged Badly

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but some eyes are less forgiving. Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Actors and Actresses that Aged Badly.

For this list, we’re looking at Hollywood actors and actresses whose appearances changed drastically over the course of their careers. No one can exactly blame a person for the ravages of Father Time, as Father Drugs and Father Facelift are sometimes equally to blame. But whether a former child actor or a former heartthrob, these are the actors and actresses that just did not age as gracefully as one would have hoped they would.

#10: Jack Nicholson
Born: April 22nd, 1937

He’s a globally renowned, Oscar-winning, A-list thespian with acting chops that are as distinctive as his eyebrows. While Jack Nicholson was never typecast as eye candy, he was certainly easy on the eyes at his prime and possessed a mildly dangerous charm that went over remarkably well with the ladies. Like a sexy, demonic teddy bear perhaps... which is why it’s more than a little disconcerting to see him now resembling that neighbor who always seems to be unexplainably wearing his sunglasses at night.

#9: Steven Seagal
Born: April 10th, 1952

A man of soft words and a singular ponytail, this vicious action star left a trail of broken bones and broken hearts in his wake. In his heyday, he was romantically linked to some of the most beautiful women in the world, including the jaw-dropping Kelly LeBrock. Nowadays, his deadly edge has been replaced by a large girth and a weird, Eddie Munster-esque hairline. He’ll still be able to kill you with a karate chop to the throat, but maybe he doesn’t look as badass as he’s doing it.

#8: Al Pacino
Born: April 25th, 1940

As a sassy septuagenarian, Al Pacino isn’t expected to look fresh-faced and fancy-free. With a slew of Oscar nods and one Academy Award win under his belt, he’s led a life most actors can only dream of - and he’s more than earned his place as a Hollywood legend. But this particular legend hasn’t eased into his legacy with the grace that would be expected of Michael Corleone. Instead, Pacino looks more like his “Godfather” counterpart after a long, long night.

#7: Haley Joel Osment
Born: April 10th, 1988

He got his big break as a troubled kid with paranormal abilities in “The Sixth Sense” and followed it up with the starring role in Steven Spielberg’s “A. I. Artificial Intelligence”. With an Oscar nomination on his resume, everything seemed to be going swimmingly for the child star until he just... disappeared. When Haley Joel Osment reemerged as an adult years later, naturally, he looked different, but not necessarily for the better. On the plus side, at least he didn’t get caught in the child actor drug spiral.

#6: Nick Nolte
Born: February 8th, 1941

Looking at him now, it might be hard to believe that Nick Nolte got his start modeling. But this Oscar-nominated actor didn’t always look like a salty dog. At the height of his acting career, Nolte’s weathered golden-boy looks and feathered bangs made him a suburban housewife heartthrob. However, years of hard living, drugs, and a couple of DUIs seemed to have aged him beyond his years. On the other hand, his gruff appearance and rough-around-the-edges demeanor make him perfect for playing crusty old curmudgeons and alcoholic sailors.

#5: Kathleen Turner
Born: June 19th, 1954

Steamy, sultry, and infinitely desirable, she made a career out of playing characters that men would either kill to be with or murder altogether. With her performance in 1981’s “Body Heat”, she had Hollywood in her deadly vice, and with roles in “Romancing the Stone” and “Prizzi’s Honor”, she solidified her place as a screen siren. However, an ongoing battle with rheumatoid arthritis and alcohol abuse took its toll on Turner’s appearance, and altered her viability in Hollywood.

#4: Marlon Brando
Born: April 3rd, 1924

His raw performance as Stanley Kowalski in 1951’s “A Streetcar Named Desire” immediately propelled him into sex symbol status. With Marlon Brando’s dashing good looks came an immense talent, leading to critical acclaim as well as multiple Academy Awards. At the top of his game, Brando was a veritable demi-god. But when gods fall, they fall hard. In the years leading to his 2004 death, Brando went from “bad boy” to just looking bad, but at least he always held on to his charm.

#3: John Travolta
Born: February 18th, 1954

His first main role was as Vinnie Barbarino on the TV series, “Welcome Back, Kotter”, before dancing his way to stardom in “Saturday Night Fever”. By the time he starred in “Grease”, John Travolta was a bona fide dreamboat. But Travolta’s glittering abs and abundant locks would be replaced with a most disturbing array of unfortunate hairpieces later on his career. His broadened face and weird wigs are a far cry from the greaser hair and tight pants we’d grown to love.

#2: Courtney Love
Born: July 9th, 1964

It’s difficult to say exactly when Ms. Love took a turn for the worse. As a part of the ‘90s grunge scene, she wasn’t held as the standard of delicate, ephemeral beauty. But Courtney Love did hold a hard-edged appeal that translated well on screen, particularly in her role as Althea Leasure in “The People vs. Larry Flynt”. Hard partying and subsequent plastic surgery haven’t translated well for Love in her later years, and every bit of it shows.

#1: Mickey Rourke
Born: September 16th, 1956

Easily one of the hottest men of the ‘80s, Mickey Rourke was quickly establishing his acting legacy when he set the big screen on fire in “9 ½ Weeks”. Co-starring Kim Basinger, the erotic romantic drama saw him play a sizzling Wall Street broker who has an intense sexual affair with an art gallery employee. The role helped establish him as a fantasy lover poised for the Hollywood big leagues, but his subsequent series of unfortunate facelifts left everyone wondering what happened and why. The former boxer’s face was hence destroyed by booze and reconstructive surgery, much to the dismay of fans everywhere.

Do you agree with our list? Which actor or actress do you think aged the worst? For more ageless Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.